Guard and indicator for storage vessels.



F. B. EASTON.

GUARD AND INDICATOR FOR STORAGE vEssELs.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1913.

1,105,068. Patented July 28,1914,

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7/ [a i 1/ i 3 4 I a 4 7a '7 WITNESSES. 74 INVENTOR w %W.M FRANK fifAsro/v B Y n Mwx AT TOR/VEY THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTO ITHO., WASHINGTON. D. Q

FRANK B. EASTON, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

GUARD AND INDICATOR FOR VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1914.

Application filed July 23, 1913. Serial No. 780,638.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. EAsToN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guards and Indicators for Storage Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a guard and indicator designed to" be attached to a storage vessel in position to shield the closure for the mouth of the same and capable of being moved to expose the closure when the contents of the vessel are needed for use. The presence of the guard and indicator and the necessity for moving it when the vessel is to be opened serve to remind one of the character of the vessels contents; and the guard and indicator is therefore especially adapted to be employed on bottles containing poison and other deleterious substances.

An important objectofmy invention is to incorporate with the guard and indicator-device a signaling element of such a nature as to startle a careless, inexperienced, or ignorant person if the latter should handle or attempt to open the vessel to which my invention is applied. In this way a sufficient warning is made certain of being given; and danger of the contents of the vessel being used by mistake practically eliminated.

The drawings illustrate one or more forms of my invention and the manner of applying the same; and the reference numerals employed in connection'with the various parts are the same throughout the several views.

Onthe drawings Figure l is a side elevation .of my guard and indicator with the parts in normal position on a storage vessel as a bottle, for example; Fig. 2 is a similar view of myinvention with the parts moved to expose the closure of the storage vessel;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a detail, showing the element which shields the closure of the storage vessel; Fig. l is a perspective view of a modified form of shielding element; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing another application of my invention.

These views illustrate a portion of a storage vessel, such as a bottle, having a body 1 with a neck 2 which receives a closure such as a cork 3. ,My guard and indicator is adapted to encircle the neck 2 and normally be in position to shield the closure 3 so that the. latter cannot be withdrawn till the guard and indicator is moved to expose the closure 3. When this is done the signaling element is actuated to give warning, this signalingelement being indicated by the numeral 4; and I preferably make this element in the shape of a device adapted" Figs. 1 and2 the ring 5 is continuous and is 1 provided with lugs 7 at one end, the lugsbeingbent inward to engage the flange 8 at the end of the neck 3. The body of the ring with the lugs is made of some malleable metal, so that it can be slipped over the flange 8 and the lugs 7 afterward turned in with a convenient tool far enough to make them engage the flange 8 when the springB forces the ring 5Kinto shielding position; but not too far tolprevent the ring 5 from sliding freely 1 on the neck 3. In the form shown on Fig. 4, the ring 5 is divided and consists of two halves 5 and 5 which are held together with an encircling collar.

This form of ring is provided with an inturnedflange 7 which serves the same purpose as the lugs 7 in the form shown in Figs.

l, 2 and 3.. The spring6 is preferably secured tothe ring 5 at one end, and at itsother end it is secured to a clip 9 which encircles the neck and normally rests upon the shoulder of the vessel at the base ofthe neck 3. This clip is of flexible material, so that it can be easily slipped into place; and its ends are fastened togetherby any suitable meanssuch as a bolt or screw.

Referring now to the signal a I make the same comprise aleaf spring 10 fastened to the clip 9 and extending toward the ring 5.

The free end of the spring 10 carries a head i llwhich .has a pocket to receive a suitable be any suitable Inapiece of flint or the metal cerium which sparks very easily when scratched, or any of the substances thatare commonly used in cigar lighters. It is forced tightly into the pocket in the head 11, and can'be easily:

replaced when used up.

I In the form shown on Figs. 1, collar 13 is integral with the ring 5; while in the form shown on Fig. gtthecOllari'is made as a separate element and serves to bind the halves of the ring together. In this form the collar should be made ofsome soft metal with its forward edge, referring tothe direction of motion when the collar is forced upon the ring, of considerable thinness. This construction makes possible what is ordinarily known as a press fit the collar engaging the halves of the ring tightly as it is forced into place with the 'fingers and the thin edge adjusting itself to the outer surface of the ring. 'After the collar has been in place a few hours it will stick, owing to the slight corrosion due to the action 'of the air; and the parts will be secured in operative position.

"Fig;'5 shows my invention appliedto a bottle or vessel having theneck 2 in the bottom. Thisform of vessel is used for pills and other solid substances, and it rests upon a bottom flange let that conceals the cork 3. As the ring 5 is here held against the flange 8 by'gravity when the bottle is lifted, I can dispensewith the spring 6. This vessel resting upon the flange 14: with the mouth downward, the ring 5 may be held upto a certain extent; butwhen the vessel islifted the ringwill drop till it is stopped by the flange 8. ln the'fall of the ring the collar 13 will strike sparks from the'substance l2;

and if they should escape notice, the'rep etition will not fail to be perceived whenthe ring 5 falls back upon the shoulder of the bottle when the mouth is turned up toremove the cork 3. The utility of my invention will now be clear. The ring'5 shields the closure, and the closure cannot betaken out till the ring is moved toexpose it, so that it can be seizedwith thefingers. The presence of the ringand the needfor moving it will serve to warn one that the bottle contains some substance such as poison; and in hospitals or sick rooms will ordinarilyhe sufiicient to cause an experienced nurse to take notice. Should the nurse be inexperienced or experienced but absent minded, the action of the collar 13 striking sparks from the substance 12 will so startle her that further carelessness will not "be at all likely. In all the forms the ring 5 cannot be pushed far enough away from the closure to enable the substance 12 to pass the outer edge of the ring. Such a'designingof the parts is necessary to prevent the signal from 2and 3 the being used as a catch to hold the ring away from the cork; so that when the user is throughwith the bottle the ring will surely be moved back to shielding position with respect to the closure-3l I thus insure the necessity of moving the ring and the operation ofthe signal before the contents ofthe vessel can begotten at. I can also design the spring 6 to be too strong for children to compress. Furthermore the presence of the signal will ordinarily be sufficient to divert a childs attention from-the contents of the bottle should'it ever succeed in moving the ring 5 down far enough to produce sparks with the collar 13.

Having described my invention, what I claim as; new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is 1. A combined guard and indicator for the closure of a storage vessel comprising a ring surrounding the closure and normally shielding the same, means for normally holding the ring'in shielding position, said ring having a'roughened collar thereon, and asparking device adjacent to thering and actuated by the Collar to emit sparks when the ring ismoved to expose the closure.

' '2. A combined guard and indicator for the closure of the neck of a storage'vessel' comprising a ring surrounding the closure f. l l

and normally sh eldmg the same, a spiral springenclrclmg said neck and actm'g to hold the ring in shielding position, a clip encirclingfthe neck, a leaf spring secured to the clipan'd extending'therefrom' and car'- rying a sparking substance at itsfree end in proximity to the ring, and a roughened collar on the ring to engage the substance and cause the same to emit sparks when the ring is moved toexp'ose the closure.

3. A'combinedguard and indicator for the closure" of a' storage vessel comprising a rings'urrounding the closure and having a roughened collaro'njits outer'faceland a sparking device adjacent tothe ring and actuated by the collarto emit sparks when therin'g is moved to expose the "closure;

4. A combined guard and 'indicator for theclosureof the neck of a storage vessel comprising a ring surrounding the closure, and carrying aroughened collar,"a clip 'secured tothe neck, a leaf spring secured to the clip and" extending therefrom toward the collar," and carrying a sparking substance at its free end, whereby when the ring is moved the collarwill' cause the substance to emit sparks.

5. A combined guard and indicator for the closure of a storage "vessel comprising meaifs for guarding the closure and means for startling the vision when the'guar'ding means and the vessel are moved relatively to each other .to enable the vessel to be 6. A combined guard and indicator for the closure of a storage vessel comprising means for guarding the closure and means for emitting sparks when the guarding means and the vessel are moved relatively to each other to enable the vessel to be opened.

7. A combined guard and indicator for the closure of a storage vessel comprising an element slidably mounted on said vessel and movable toward and from the body of said vessel to expose or shield the closure, said element having inward extending means to engage the vessel and prevent separation therefrom when moved away from the body of the vessel to shield the closure and having a roughened portion on its exterior surface to enable the element to be grasped by the hand to move the same toward the body of the vessel to expose the closure.

8. A combined guard and indicator for the closure of a storage vessel comprising an element slidably mounted onsaid vessel and movable toward and from the body of the vessel to expose or shield the closure, I

said element having inward extending means to engage the vessel and prevent separation therefrom when moved away from the body'of the vessel to shield the closure and having a roughened portion on its exterior surface to enable the element to be grasped by the hand to move the same toward the body of the vessel to expose the New York and State of New York this 11th day of July A. D. 1913.

FRANK B. EASTON. Witnesses:

MAURICE STEIN, ALIcn Bnnnm'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

